Improvement in the manufacture of illuminating-gas



UNITED STATES IIEATENTI OEEIoE.

LEVI STEVENS, OF NVASHINGTON, DISTRIOT OF COLUMBIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ILLUMINATING-GAS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 87,123, dated February 23, 1869.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEVI STEvENs, of Washtudiual section through the same.

Similar letters of reference, where they occur in the sepa-rate gures, denote like parts in both of them.

In the manufacture of illuminating-gas from coal, as now practiced, the first of the process is expended in the distillation of coal-tar, which is not only useless, but is also a great waste of gas-making material. Besides, this coal-tar clogs up the retorts. So, too, in recharging a retort, the chill produced by the charging in the cold material results in the production of coal-tar, and not in gas, and this production of this worse than useless material will continue until the degree of heat required to eliminate gas is again restored to the retort or chamber containing the gas-making material.

It is inipracticable to stop the production of coal-tar at the outset of the process, or when the retorts become chilled by charging in the cold material, if the generating of the vapors and the Ietorting be attempted in one and the same retort or chamber. I

My invention consists in combining with the two retorts or chambers, and with their fire-space or radiated heat, a coil of pipe for containing steam, and in which the steam is dried or superheated, and thence passed into the coal-distilling chamber of the pair, to commingle with the vapors therein, and thence go to the other chamber to be retorted or converted into a fixed gas.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe the same in connection with the drawings.

A represents a bench, in which two sets of retorts, B and B', are arranged. A single set may be so arranged, or any other number of sets more than two. v

Underneath the retort B, in which the' gasmaking material is charged, is placed the lire chamber or box C, with suitable grate-bars,

tire and smoke flues, ash-box, and fuel-feeding and draft openings; and above the retort B, with fire-space D intervening, is placed the upper or gas-making or converting retort or chamber B. A passage, a, unites the chambers of the lower andv upper retorts.

Steam, from any suitable generator, is passed through a coil or series of pipes, b, arranged for convenience and economy between the arches o c of the bench, where it is dried or superheated, and from thence is taken through the pipes d o intol the distilliug-chamber B, and passed over and mixed with the vapor ari-sing from the distillation of the'A coal therein, and these mixed vapors pass through the communicatin g passage a into the upper chamber, B, where they are retorted and converted into a iixed gas.

The openings f through the walls of the firechamber are for allowing the heat and flame to surround the retorts.

VIn this process the hydro-oxygen oxidizes the carbon and leaves free hydrogen, and prevents the carbon from depositing in the retorts or the formation of vcoal-tar, which is a clearloss of material, and, moreover, fills or clogs the retorts.

The two retorts or chambers are separated by support-s that leave iire space or passages between them, and when the lower chamber is being charged with fresh gas-making material, the chill does not extend to the retortin g or converting chamber, which continues its high temperature, so that no coal-tar is distilled or deposited in them.

The great advantageof this process of distilling in one retort and converting and iixing the gas in another retort is in the limmense saving of the gas-making material and the superheated steam into the retort or chamber largely-increased product of gas from a given containing the coal or other gas-making maquantity ofcoai. teriai, mixing the vapors therein, and retort- Having thus fully described my invention, i ing them in the other chamber or retort, subwhat I claim therein as new, and desire to stantially as and for the purpose set forth.

secure by Letters Patent, isv LEVI STEVENS.

In combination with the double retorts or fitnesses: chambers, as herein represented, the series of EDMUND MASSON,

A steam-pipes for snperheating and carrying the EDM. F. BROWN. 

